I've got a Chapman ML2 (single cut style guitar), and it's got your kind of traditional string through construction through a tonepros bridge. I realise there's gonna be some routing in this project, and I also realise this might be a silly idea. But I never cared much for the string through look, and would love to get a tail piece on there so it'd look more like a les paul kinda deal.

Thanks for the tip. I'll definately consider that. Downside is though, I'll still be left with six holes through the body, now without any purpose. That's why I wonder if the tailpiece maybe could cover them up or something.

If you install a regular tailpiece it'll hide the string-through holes fine, unless someone gets really close and has a look under the tailpiece. Especially if you screw it down all the way (and I've never understood why anybody would do anything else, BTW).

It'll only be obvious from the rear, so that's the only thing to be mindful of. But the ML2 uses some pretty straight-grained hog, so plugging those holes and chiseling them flush will look at least semi-decent if you get some hardwood dowels of a similar colour and orient the grain properly when gluing them in.

Thing is though, I'm really hesitant to bother refinishing it because it's a new generation ML2 with the flamed maple veneer top and see-through black cherry finish. It's too gorgeous, and I'm guessing it would be too much work to get it looking like that again after butchering the paint on it. As for holes still being visible from the back, not that big of a deal. It's not like that's be part that'll be visible most of the time anyway, right?

If you install a regular tailpiece it'll hide the string-through holes fine, unless someone gets really close and has a look under the tailpiece. Especially if you screw it down all the way (and I've never understood why anybody would do anything else, BTW).

It'll only be obvious from the rear, so that's the only thing to be mindful of. But the ML2 uses some pretty straight-grained hog, so plugging those holes and chiseling them flush will look at least semi-decent if you get some hardwood dowels of a similar colour and orient the grain properly when gluing them in.

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There is one reason you might not screw a tailpiece down all the way - If you already have enough downward pressure on the saddles, the extra downward pressure can actually make the bridge sag in the middle over time. You end up with needing to replace the bridge a few years (or many years) down the line because it's too flat for the radius of the board (or is the reverse of the radius of the board)

Granted, design flaw in the bridge, not the tailpiece, but one reason nonetheless.

^I have heard of that, never seen it... Seems like something that'll happen mainly to bad quality ones (like Gibsons, eeyyy!). To be honest it never entered my mind, but I suppose you could top wrap your tailpiece then?

Thing is though, I'm really hesitant to bother refinishing it because it's a new generation ML2 with the flamed maple veneer top and see-through black cherry finish. It's too gorgeous, and I'm guessing it would be too much work to get it looking like that again after butchering the paint on it.

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Why would you need to refinish it? If you drill properly it won't crack the finish. Make a proper template, make sure the post distance is correct for your tailpiece and clamp it onto the guitar before going at it with a properly sharp brad point drill bit. And don't mash the drill in there- let the spurs cut the finish slowly.

^I have heard of that, never seen it... Seems like something that'll happen mainly to bad quality ones (like Gibsons, eeyyy!). To be honest it never entered my mind, but I suppose you could top wrap your tailpiece then?

Why would you need to refinish it? If you drill properly it won't crack the finish. Make a proper template, make sure the post distance is correct for your tailpiece and clamp it onto the guitar before going at it with a properly sharp brad point drill bit. And don't mash the drill in there- let the spurs cut the finish slowly.

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You couldn't top wrap, because it's the bridge and saddles that would be lower in the middle, not the tailpiece. It happens to ABM-1 and Nashville types AFAIK, along with any similarly designed copy of such I assume.

^I was talking about doing it before the bridge would start to sag... Could probably have clarified that.

Also, are there any other types than ABM-1 (studs threaded directly into the wood) and Nashville (wider intonation range, with studs thread into bushings pressed into the body) types? Then there's the "import" variant with the thicker stud that has the slotted top for screwdriver adjustment, I suppose.

I think the ABM-1 design with the retainer wire is the most prone to sagging because it has those cutouts for the intonation screws. Never heard of it happening to stuff like a higher-end import model.

^I was talking about doing it before the bridge would start to sag... Could probably have clarified that.

Also, are there any other types than ABM-1 (studs threaded directly into the wood) and Nashville (wider intonation range, with studs thread into bushings pressed into the body) types? Then there's the "import" variant with the thicker stud that has the slotted top for screwdriver adjustment, I suppose.

I think the ABM-1 design with the retainer wire is the most prone to sagging because it has those cutouts for the intonation screws. Never heard of it happening to stuff like a higher-end import model.

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I was thinking more about the various weird GFS bridges that use a tailpiece setup, to be honest.